Plating machine



March 31, 1936. c, BOGLE PLATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Jo/wv 6'. EO

March 31, 1936. J c BOGLE I I 2,035,633

' PLATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

c/OH/Y C. Beau" ATTORNEYS March 31, 1936. J. c. BOGLE PLATING' MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

JOHN C BUGLE BY W$M,@% M

', ATTORNEYS.

March 31,1936. J. c. BOGLE 2,035,633

PLATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 x I a. i: i:

g PLATING momma Jolm C. Bogle, Grosse Pointe Village, mm, asg signer to Udylite Company, Detroit, Mich, a 3

corporation of Indiana Application February 5. 1935, Serial No. 5,039 A I a claims. ((1204-11) a This invention relates to a plating machine and more particularly to a plating machine of the rotating barreltype. As iswell-known, barrel plating machines necessarily have some'of their parts made from materials which are non-on ductors of electricity such as bakelite and hard rubber One of the problems that has arisen is that of preventing destruction of these nonconducting or insulating parts by what is known slip joints in the cathodic part of the electric cirare connected electrically with the tank. The 15 cuit. This treeing is also undesirable in that it anode bus-bar 3 is provided with suitable openprovides aready path of travel for the current ings at each end and the ends of the bus-bar are from the anode back to the cathode bus-bar withpassed over the ends of the anode rails secured out passing through the work. This wastage of thereto by the bolts 6 (Fig. 4). The anodes 5 20. current increases as the treeing surface spreads. preferably are in the form of ball anodes and It is an object of this invention to produce a helical wire container shown and claimed in the plating machine in which this destructive treeing Stewart and Urban Reissue'Patent No; 19,328,- is practically prevented. This object has been and the'Dubpemell Patent No. 1,868,052. achieved by completely eliminating all slip joints The cathodic portion of the circuit which is {in the electrical conducting circuit so that the a p O t Stationary Structure Of e machine as treeing", that is, the metal which is being plated will reach cathodic parts through cracks or joints in the insulation thus building up a deposit which eventually splits the insulation. This destructive treeing also occurs between the current never has to pass from one member to Fig.6isadetail ofthe another member which move one relative to the other. It is also proposed to achieve this result by making all the metal parts which are immersed care and the cathodic elements of which may be readily cleaned.

In the drawings: 7 Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal-section through the machine.

Fig. 2 is the vertical transverse section through the machine.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of the mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail of the hanger for the rotating barrel.

latch" for the removable convenience, may be termed the stationary part l of the machine, will be described first.

This structure comprises a sheet steel tank .l

for the plating solution when the solution is alkaline. When acid solutions are-used, the tank should be lined with either lead or rubber. The

upper edge of the tank is provided with an angle iron rim -2. As shown'inFigs. 2, 3, and 4, the current is brought into the-solution through the anodic portion of the circuit which comprises the anode bus-bar 3, the anode rods 4 and the -anodes 5. The rods 4 extend lengthwise of the tank I and the ends of these rods project through suitable openings in the end walls of the tank and comprises acathode bus-bar I supported above the ends of the tank and insulated therefrom by suitable insulation suchas the rubber blocks 8 and the bushing 9. A bolt l0 may be passed or any other suitable metal.

As shown in Figs. 3.and 4,- the tank has mounted -upon the upper edge of its end walls a pair of saddles l2. These saddles (Figs. 3 and 4) are secured to the rim of the tank by bolts l3. Suit-- able insulation is provided between the saddles l2 and the tank. Thissinsulation may take the form of the rubber block l8, therubber bushing l5 which surrounds the bolt i 3, .and the fiber washer I 6. g The cathode bus-bars I are in electrical conducting contact with the saddles 5.2. The anode bus-bar 3 may be connected to the positive or anodic'side ofithe generator and the in the plating bath anodicwith the exception of through the bus-bar! and the flange 2 of the 30 a very small and readily removable cathodic part tank to secure the cathode rail to t e tank. The hi t t t t work to permit passage bolt I0 is insulated from the tank by the bushing ofthe ur t therethrough 9. The bus-bars I are connected by a bps-bar H N It is an object of this invention to produce a extending along the Side of theta-11k- The S plating machine th t will require a of ode and anode bus-bars may be made of copper 35 barrel door Panel. g I cathode; bus-bars I and II connected to the negar 7 is a detail 0f the k and the a d -tive or cathodic side of. the generator in the usual 50 cable. manner.

,As is customary with barrel type plating machines, the barrel is arranged to be removed from the tank for loading and unloading purpo The stationary portion of.the machine is also provided with a suitable driving mechanism for rotating the barrel.. This drivingtmechanism consists of an electric motor lTsupported upon reduction arrangement I9.

It is proposed to make the removable rotating work barrel with a steel skeleton which is intheir circumference by thesteel rods 22, the threaded ends of which carrythe nuts 23. The

sides of, the barrel comprise six foraminated hard rubber panels 24, the edges of which are fitted into the hard rubber rails 25 which extend between, and are secured to, the hard rubber end walls 2|. The end walls 2| are provided with circular recesses 26 into which are fitted the reduced ends 21 of the rubber panel rails 25. The rubber wall panels fit into suitable groov'es28 provided in the rails 25 and into suitable recesses 29 provided in the rubber end wall linings 2|.

Although this skeletonized steel construction v of the barrel provides an unusually strong barrel, itigives rise to the problem of preventing accumulation of plate on one part of the steel skeleton and corrosion action of the plating bath on another portion of the' skeleton.

This problem has been solved by maintaining the skeleton at an anodic potential. Theanodic potential at which the skeleton and hangersare maintained is such that they do not receive any plate nor carry any perceptiblecurrent into the plating bath.

. panel 30 for ready removal by the handle 35. To

I Access to the inside of the barrel may be made through the removable door panel 30. The door panel may be retained in position by a very easily and quickly operated form of latch which takes the form of a'pair of spaced bars 3| yieldably j held in spaced relation by the spring 32. The v l "s For rotating the barrel upon the hangers 44 bars 3| are provided with a rabbet 33 which engages an undercut groove 34 in the adjoining sidewall of the rail 25. The panel may be'very easily and quickly removed by drawing one of the latch bars 3| toward the other against the tension of the spring 32 which permits the latch bars tobe withdrawn and thus free the door permit greater manufacturing tolerances both in the hanger arrangement .by which .the rotating barrel is supported and in the barrel, it is proposed'to mount the barrel in a novel manner upon its hanger. This mounting for each end of the barrel takes the form of a circular steel rim 36 which is bolted to the outer face of the end plate 20. This circular rim is provided with a plurality of lugs 31 each of which has an opening 38 for reception of the pins 39 carried by the spider 40. The pins 39 are held in the Spider This gives the pins 39 a floating or flexible connection with the lugs 36 for purposes described below. The spider 40 is provided with a hub 42. The hub 42 isv rotatably mounted upon the bearing 43 fixed to the lower end of the hanger 44.

- A hanger is provided for each end of the rotating barrel. The hangers are connected by a cross beam 45 provided with an eye bolt 46 by a platform It and provided with a suitable gear means of which-the removable barrel mechanism may be liftedfrom-the tank.

To support the hangers 44 on the tank, each of the hangers has bolted to the, upper end a yoke 41, as shown in Fig. 1. The bolts 48 which secure the yoke 41 to the hanger 44 and the hanger 41 are insulated from the hanger 44 by v the fiber washers 49 and the rubber bushing 50. This insulation is important because the hanger .of rubber orany other suitable insulation. This cablepasses downwardly between the flanges 55 of the hanger 44 and then passes inwardly through an opening 56 in the bearing .43 at the bottom of the hanger 44. Theopening 56 in the bearing 43 is threaded. A bakelite bushing 51 having a threaded end is screwed into the bear.-

ing openi g 56. The insulated cable 52 passes through ,the bakelite bushing 51 where it is pressed into the end of a chromium plated arbor 58 and in electrical conducting relation therewith. -The arbor 58 has a threaded fit with the inner end'of the bakelite bushing 51 as at 59.

The rubber. head plate lining 2| is provided with a suitable opening 60 through which the bakelitebushing 51 ispassed. The opening 60 is slightly larger than thebakelite bushing 51 to provide a small clearance to prevent frictional engagement between the bushing 51 and the rubber facing 2| when the barrel is rotated. A set-of three steel danglers 6|, each of which is provided with a loopat its upper end, is passed over the arbor 58. The danglers are retained upon the arbor by the screw 62' having a hard rubber head or coating 63. In view of the above it'will be seen that the only cathodic surface exposed to the plating 'bath is the chromium plated surface of the arbor 58 and that of the danglers 6|.

the cast iron rim 36, adjacent the motor, may be provided with external gear teeth 65 along its outer circumference. The hanger 44 has a bearing 66 in which is rotatably mounted the drive shaft 61. Gears 68 and 69 are fixed on opposite ment l9 thus effecting a drivebetween themotor and the barrel. Y

When it is desired to remove the removable barrel portion of the machine from the tank a hook connected with a block and tackle may be passed through the loop 46. Upon raising the removable barrel. portion of the machine the pins 5| will lift out of the saddles l2 and gear 68 will separate from gear 16 of the power reduction mechanism.

The path of the current may be noted as follows: The current is fed from the positive or outgoing side of the generator to the anode busbar 3. The current travels along the anode rods 4 down the anodes 5 intothe solution, thence to the work. From the work the current travels through-the danglers 6| to the arbor 58, along the cathode cable 52 to the yoke 41, through the pins 5| to the saddles 2, then into the bus-bars .1 andand thence into the negative or incoming side of the generator. Current also'travels from the anode bus-bars 3 along the tank and the gear drive to the ,steel barrel skeleton. By this arrangement it will be noted that not only the tank I is anodic but also the barrel ends 20, rods 22, rims 35, spiders 42, hangers 44, in fact every ciently high so that none of the metal will be deposited thereon and yet at the same time the anodic potential is low enough so that no. perceptible current is conducted into the solution.

I claim:

1; A plating machine comprising a metal plating tank for the plating solution, a rotatable work barrel comprising an outer skeleton of electrically conducting parts freely exposed to the plating solution and insoluble in the plating solution and an insulating lining within the electrically conducting skeleton forming a container for the wcrk,,and an electrically conducting circuit comprising an anodic portion adapted to conduct current into the solution and a'st'ationary cathodic portion adapted to conduct current out of the solution, said anodic portion of the circuit being in electrically conducting relation with the skeleton of the ,work barrel to thereby maintain these parts at an anodic potential, an opening in one of the walls of the barrel through which the stationary cathode projects into electrically conducting relation with the work within the barrel.

2. A plating machine comprising in combination a metal plating tank, a rotatable work barrel comprising electrically conducting parts insoluble in the plating solution, an electrically conducting hanger supported by the tank in electrically conducting relation therewith for rotatably supporting the work barrel, the said hanger being in electrically conducting relation with the electrically conducting parts of the work barrel, and an electrically conducting circuit comprising an anodic portion adapted to conduct current into the solution and a cathodic portion adapted to conduct current out of the solution, the said anodic portion of the circuit being in electrically conducting relation with the tank, hanger and work barrel to maintain the same at an anodic potential suificiently large to prevent plating on these members but insuflicien't to transmit any perceptible current into the solution.

3. A plating machine comprising in'combination a metal plating tank for the plating solution, a rotatable work barrel comprising a pair of metal and plates freely exposed to the plating solution and insoluble in the plating solution, a non-conducting lining for the inner face of each of the end plates, a plurality of metal rods secured to the end plates for tying the same together in spaced relation, a foraminated wall of nonconducting material mounted between the end plates and defining a work receiving space, a pair of hangers in electrically conducting relation with the end plates for rotatably supporting the barrel, and an electrically conducting circuit comprising an anodic portion adapted to conduct current into the solution and a cathodic portion adapted to conduct current out of the solution, the said anodic portion of the-circuit being connected in electrically conducting relation with the hanger, end plates and tie rods of the work barrel to maintain these portions at an anodic potential.

4. A plating machine comprising in combination a metal plating tank for the plating solution,

a rotatable work barrel comprising a pair of metal end plates freely exposed to the plating solution and insoluble in the plating solution, a.

non-conducting lining for the inner face of each of the end plates, a plurality. of metal rods secured to the end plates for tying the same together in spaced relation, a foraminated wall of non-conducting material mounted between linings for the end plates to define a work receivingspace, a pair ofhangers in electrically conducting relation with the end plates for rotatably supporting the barrel, and an electrically conducting circuit comprising an anodic portion adapted to conduct current into the solution and a cathodic portion adapted to conduct. current but of the solution, the said anodic portion ofthe circuit being connected in electrically conducting relation with the hanger, end plates and tie rods of the work barrel to maintain these portions at an anodic potential, and openings in the end walls of the barrel at the axis of rotation of the barrel, the cathodic portion of the circuit being in the form of a stationary insulated cable projecting inwardly through the openings in the end walls of the barrel, and cathodes supported at the inner end of the cable in electrically conducting relation therewith for contacting -,with the work.

5. A plating machine comprising in combina- 'tion a metal plating tank for the plating solution, a rotatable work barrel comprising electrically conducting parts freely exposed to the plating solution and insoluble inthe plating so:

lution, a pair of hangers having a rotatable connection with the ends of the barrel for rotatably supporting the same in the tank, an electrically conducting circuit comprising an anodic portion adapted to conduct current into the solution and a cathodic portion adapted to conduct current out of the solution, the anodic portion of the circuit being connectedin electrically conducting relation with the electrically conducting parts of the .a rotatable work barrel comprising electrically conducting parts insoluble in the plating solution, a pair of hangers having a rotatable connection with the ends of the barrel for rotatably supporting the same in the .tank, an electrically conducting circuit comprising an anodic portion adapted to conduct current into .the solution and a cathodic portion adapted to conduct cur.- rent out of the solution, the anodic portion of the circuit beingconnected in electrically conducting relation with the electrically conducting parts of the work barrel and hangers to maintain the same at an anodic potential, one of the said hangers and an adjacent .end of the barrel having aligned openings, the cathodic portion oi the circuit being passed through the opening in the portion of the circuit within the work barrel and adapted to make an electrically conducting contact with the work.

7. A plating machine comprising in combination a metal tank for the plating solution,- a rotatable barrel, a pair of hangerssupported by the tank, a spider rotatably mounted upon each of said hangers, and a floating connection between the spiders and the ends of the barrel in the form of adjacent openings in the spider and the end of the barrel, and a pin fixed in one of the openings and having a. clearance in the other opening. j

8. A plating apparatus comprising in combination a metal tank for the plating solution, the said metal tank being normally insoluble in the plating solution,' and an electrically conducting circuit-comprising an anodic portion including soluble anode material adapted to'conduct current into the solution and a.cathodic portion adapted to conduct current out of the solution, the said anodic portion of the circuit and the plating tank being connected in electrically conducting parallel relation whereby the plating tank is maintained at an anodic potential insuflicient to transmit any perceptible current into the solution and practically all the current passes into the solution 

